Guide - Florida's Center for Child Welfare
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Guide to Staying Virtually Connected During
COVID-19
Guide
How to Stay Connected
Staying connected to family, friends and co-workers is more important than ever. Using on-line services and
apps with audio & video platforms are great tools while practicing social distancing. Here are some ideas to
consider:
Throwing an online game night or dance party
Watching television shows or movies together
Take a virtual tour
Hosting a virtual book club
Here are some on-line services and apps that can help you stay connected:
FaceTime
Is a video and audio calling service for Apple devices
Website: www.facetimeapp.com
Cost: Free (pre-installed on Apple devices)
Capacity: You can add up to 32 people at the same time using Group FaceTime
Good for: Any iOS (Apple) device with a forward-facing camera and Mac computer with a webcam.
FaceTime User Guide
Facebook Messenger
Is a messaging, calling and video chatting app developed by Facebook.
Website: www.messenger.com
Cost: Free
Capacity: Up to 50 people can video chat on Facebook Messenger at once.
Good for: Computers, Apple devices with iOS 8 and above support Facebook Messenger, as well as Android
devices. Download the app in the App or Google Play Store
Facebook Messenger Help
WhatsApp
Is a messaging service that allows users to send text and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and
share images, documents, user locations and other media.
Website: www.whatsapp.com
Cost: Free
Capacity: Up to 16 people at the same time
Good for: Computers, Android devices running OS 4.0.3+ and iOS 9+ Apple products. Download the app in the
App or Google Play Store
WhatsApp FAQs
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©2020 The Center for Child Welfare | Website: wwww.centerforchildwelfare.orgSnapchat
Is a messaging app that lets users exchange pictures and videos (called snaps) that are meant to disappear 24
hours after they are viewed. You can also send short videos, live video chatting and messages creating
caricature-like Bitmoji avatars
Website: www.snapchat.com
Cost: Free
Capacity: Up to 16 people at the same time
Good for: Android and Apple mobile devices. Download the app in the App or Google Play Store
How to Use Snapchat
Skype
Skype is a video and voice calling service that also allows text messaging, location sharing, file sharing,
image sharing, video messaging, voice messaging, group video calls, group audio calls, calls to regular
telephones and more. Microsoft developed the app.
Website: www.skype.com
Cost: Free
Capacity: Up to 50 people can video chat at the same time using Skype.
Good for: Supports most browsers such as Windows, Mac, iOS (Apple) and Android. Download the app in the
App or Google Play Store
Skype User Info
Telegram
Is an online instant messaging service that uses end-to-end encryption
Website: www.telegram.org
Cost: Free
Good for: iOS (Apple), Android, Windows Phone & macOS mobile devices
*Users can share photos, videos, audio messages and other files. Users can send messages to other users
individually or to groups of up to 200,000 members. Download the app in the App or Google Play Store
Telegram FAQs
Google Duo
Is a video and audio calling app made by Google (similar to Apple’s FaceTime)
Website: https://duo.google.com
Cost: Free
Capacity: Up to 12 people
Good for: iOS (Apple) & Android devices. Download the app in the App or Google Play Store
Google Duo Help Guide
Discord
Website: www.discordapp.com
Is a voice, video and text chat app. Users create servers or rooms for different interests or teams to
communicate and keep in touch.
Cost: Free
Capacity: 25 people in the server can join the channel to video chat together
Good for: Computer web browsers, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS (Apple) & Linux. Download the app in the
App or Google Play Store
Discord Basics
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©2020 The Center for Child Welfare | Website: wwww.centerforchildwelfare.orgFree Conference Call
Is a conference calling service and comes standard with features such as video chat, audio conferencing, and
more. Users also have the ability to record calls
Website: www.freeconferencecall.com
Cost: Free
Capacity: audio and video conferences for up to 1,000 people. Audio conferencing includes a toll number that
attendees can dial into
Good for: Use the service with a phone---Create the account online using an email address
Host Instructions
Participant Instructions
Marco Polo
Is a video messaging app that is very popular among teens and tweens. It works like a walkie-talkie – but with
video.
Website: www.marcopolo.me
Cost: Free
Capacity: Up to 250 users can be in a group together at one time
Good for: Apple and Android devices. Download the app in the App or Google Play Store
Marco Polo Factsheet
Houseparty
What it is: A social networking service for group video chatting, games and fun quizzes using mobile and
desktop apps.
Website: https://houseparty.com/
Cost: Free
Capacity: Up to eight people can video chat together on Houseparty at the same time.
Good for: iOS (Apple), Android, Mac or Google Chrome. Download the app in the App or Google Play Store
Services for On-Line Meetings & Webinars
Google Hangouts
Is a video conferencing app developed by Google and operates through a Gmail account.
Website: www.hangouts.google.com
Cost: Free for video calls depending on the plan you have subscribed to
Capacity: Video calls can include up to 10 (Gmail, G Suite Basic) or 25 (Business, Education) people.
Good for: The app supports Windows web browsers, Android and iOS (Apple) devices.
*One of the most unique features of Google Hangouts is that it allows users to stream their video calls live on
YouTube.
Google Hangouts Guide
Zoom
Is a video teleconferencing service that provides video and audio chatting, and online meetings
Website: www.zoom.us
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©2020 The Center for Child Welfare | Website: wwww.centerforchildwelfare.orgCost: Zoom offers a basic plan free with unlimited meetings. There is a 40-minute time limit on conferences
with three or more people. You can upgrade to pro, business or enterprise plans costing $15 to $20 each
month.
Capacity: Up to 100 people can video chat at the same time using the basic and pro plan on Zoom. While the
business plan can host up to 300 people at a time and up to 500 people with the enterprise plan.
Good for: Supports most browsers including iOS (Apple), Android, Blackberry, Windows and Mac, among
others. Download the app in the App or Google Play Store
Zoom Quick Start Guide for New Users
ezTalks
Is a group video, audio, and chatting service. In addition to screen and filing sharing capabilities, ezTalks
meetings also include a whiteboard feature, which allows users to add text, highlight, draw shapes, screen
capture, etc. with other team members
Website: www.eztalks.com
Cost: Free
Capacity: Up to 1000 participants
Good for: Supports most computer browsers including iOS (Apple) & Android. Download the app in the App or
Google Play Store
ezTalks Quick Start Guide
Join.me
Is an audio and video conferencing service that allows users to personalize their URL and add a customized
meeting background. Join.me also integrates with productivity tools like Outlook, Google Calendar, and Office
365
Website: Join.me
Cost: Free trial—after trial plans range from $10 - $30 per month
Capacity: Up to 250 Users
Good for: Supports most computer browsers including iOS (Apple) & Android
Join.me Guides
Microsoft Teams
Is a video calling, conferencing and text messaging service
Website: Microsoft Teams
Cost: Anyone can sign up for the free version of Microsoft Teams. Upgraded version has varied price ranges
Capacity: 300 members using the free version, large virtual events can accommodate up to 10,000
participants
Good for: Computers, web browsers, and Android and Apple mobile devices. Download the app in the App or
Google Play Store
* Users can share files, schedule meetings directly from Outlook, record meetings, and collaborate on
documents using the desktop Office programs and SharePoint Online.
Microsoft Teams Guide
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©2020 The Center for Child Welfare | Website: wwww.centerforchildwelfare.orgCisco WebEx
Is a video conferencing service including online meetings, screen sharing, meet recordings and
customizable layouts for meeting broadcasting.
Website: https://www.webex.com/
Cost: Free, upgraded plans start at $13.50 /host/month
Capacity: Up to 1000 participants (capacity to have 40,000 participants for large-scale virtual events)
Good for: Supports most computer browsers, iOS (Apple) & Android devices
Cisco WebEx User Guide
GoToMeeting
What it is: An online meeting, desktop sharing and video conferencing service
Website: www.gotomeeting.com
Cost: Free for two weeks. After that, you must choose the professional, business or enterprise annual plan
ranging from $16 to $22+ per month
Capacity: With the professional plan, GoToMeeting holds up to 150 users on the same video call, 250
participants for the business plan, and up to 3000 people for the enterprise plan.
Good for: Supports most web browsers including iOS (Apple), Android, Windows and Mac, among others.
Download the app in the App or Google Play Store
*Features polling, automatic webinar invitations and follow-up emails, attendee data, webinar performance,
and a sharable video library
GoToMeeting Guide
Other On-line Services
Netflix Party: By synchronizing playback and offering a group chat feature, Netflix Party is a free
Google Chrome extension that makes watching movies and TV with your friends easy and fun again.
Steam: With more than 30,000 video games, 90 million active users and social features like friends’ lists
and in-game message and voice chat capabilities, Steam is one of the best online gaming services. With no
subscription fee and online multiplayer games ranging from as little as $5. Steam also offers Remote Play
Together, which allows you to share a game you're playing at home with up to four friends remotely. This
feature streams video, audio and voice between players, making it even easier to hop on and play with
your friends.
Spotify playlists: Connecting with friends can also be as simple as enjoying music together. If that
sounds like you, Spotify allows you to create a playlist together. Through a collaborative playlist, you and
your friends can add and listen to all of your favorite songs anytime, anywhere. The best part is that
contributing and listening to a collaborative playlist doesn't require a Premium account. However, those
with free accounts can only add songs via a computer. Download Spotify for iOS or Android, or use it on
your computer.
If you are missing your fitness class or the gym, you can still exercise with online workouts
Fitness Blender This site offers hundreds of free, full-length online workouts. You can sort them by
difficulty, duration and training type.
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©2020 The Center for Child Welfare | Website: wwww.centerforchildwelfare.orgPlanet Fitness one of the largest chain gyms, is offering free online classes. The at-home workouts are
streaming on the company’s Facebook Page & YouTube Channel
YMCA360 The YMCA has several free videos on Youtube that cover everything from basic fitness boot
camp, yoga, and activities for older adults.
Nike Training App is offering a variety of free workouts designed by trainers. The mobile app includes
workouts for all fitness levels. Download the app in the App or Google Play Store
Peloton is offering a 90-day free trial for its on-demand, at-home training app Tone It Up. You do not need
to have the Peloton bike to utilize the yoga and strength training sessions.
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©2020 The Center for Child Welfare | Website: wwww.centerforchildwelfare.orgYou can also read
